Gettin’ rigged…..

Well, it’s been a while since my last blog and true to form it has been largely down to one of the ‘W’s mentioned in my last post…. Work. Saying that though although the weather has been dry it has been windy down here on the South Coast so probably limited opportunities to get out on the kayak anyway.

Anyhow, I digress…. This article is all about getting rigged for fishing on the kayak. As I mentioned in a previous article getting the kayak is not even half the story when it comes to kitting out. I haven’t totalled up what I’ve spent on kitting the yak out but I wouldn’t mind betting it’s over doubled the initial outlay for the kayak and the paddle.

For starters there’s safety kit…. I’m not going to give a huge list of what you should and could have – there are other forums and sites on the internet with a wealth of information far more extensive than I can list or am experienced enough to talk about. I reckon with a bit of common sense and talking to experienced yakkers most people will be able to get the basics right. So, what have I gone for? Well, a ‘lifejacket’ or in the yakking world a personal flotation device (PFD) for starters is a must. If you want to stay dry then a dry bag/suit is needed – I went for a two-piece number in the form of a bib and braces with a cag over the top which has served me well to date. However, in retrospect I do see the advantage of an all-in-one suit to reduce the risk of water getting in. In addition I’ve managed to accumulate wet suit boots, gloves, hats, flares, VHF radio, leashes, a towline, dive knife, leashes, a safety light, and a whistle …. all in the name of safety on the water!

Here’s Nobby and my good self in our kit ready to go……

In terms of rigging the yak itself again I’m no expert and again would suggest you hunt out other sites on the internet where you will see no end of ideas on how to rig your yak and believe me there are infinite possibilities. Both Nobby and myself have been extremely fortunate in the early days of out kayak fishing to stumble upon an experienced yak fisherman, Rob Appleby, who has helped us get rigged up and provided much sound advise. Without wishing to embarrass him it really is worth taking a look at Rob’s blog for some cracking and sensible ideas for rigging out your kayak as well as reading through his experiences – it comes highly recommend. As for my trusty Trident I’ve added to it a couple of access hatches, one at the stern and one on the RodPod, an anchor trolley, and two rod tubes as permanent fixtures. In addition to this there is a removable 12v battery that powers a fishfinder, GPS unit and for night fishing a stern light. Other removable items include a seat, a dry box in the small tankwell behind the seat and then either a yak bag or a crate for the main tankwell. I’ve also got an anchor setup which attaches to the anchor trolley and a trolley to wheel the yak around.

Here’s some of my rigging bits…

The fishfinder

Dry box in rear small tankwell

The stern access hatch

All this and I haven’t even mentioned the fishing kit for which you’ll need more leashes to keep it all on the yak! I’ll save that for another blog…. after I’ve got some fishing in.